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Staffers at the Nuclear Regulatory Commission say they believe the new nuclear reactors to be built at Plant Vogtle are safe. Approval of the Westinghouse AP1000 design sets the stage for final commission approval.

Westinghouse Electric Co. has submitted revisions to the proposed design of a new nuclear reactor after the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission raised concerns last month. NRC officials said last month that Westinghouse incorrectly modeled the potential stresses on several pieces of safety related equipment, including the concrete-and-steel shield building that protects the reactor.

Federal regulators say problems with a new nuclear reactor destined for Plant Vogtle near Augusta must be fixed before a decision can be made to approve the design. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has questions about the reactor’s shield building and the pressures it would withstand during an accident.

A federal panel says nuclear reactors destined for Plant Vogtle near Augusta could safely withstand the crash of a large commercial jetliner. The decision puts Southern Company a step closer to building the country’s first new reactors in decades.